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MA17 BlacktipShark
Blacktip1.png Blacktip2.png Blacktip3.png Blacktip4.png Blacktip5.png Blacktip6.png Blacktip7.png Blacktip8.png Blacktip9.png Blacktip10.png Blacktip11.png Blacktip12.png Blacktip13.png The MA17 BlacktipShark (commonly referred to as MA17 Blacktip) is a Marine Dominance and Coastal Superiority Fighter. A step up in size and power from the SF15 BlueShark and a step down from the ubiquitous SP21 TigerShark, it is perfect for aircraft carriers, since it offers a good balance of size and power. It is one of the few fighters in the GCN army equipped with a rocket launcher capability, and is notorious for carrying the highly effective SkyTremor and FireHaze Rockets. In battle, few fighters can match the downright confusing attack of the Blacktip's rocket barrage. Roles (TODO) Statistics and Specifications (TODO) History The Blacktip was born out of the GCN leadership's concern over increasing distrust among its member states. In a rarely rare act of nobility, the GCN comissioned the creation of the Blacktip in the open, with full access to all documentation and designs available to member states and allies. However, as always, the GCN retained full control in just who could use this formidable machine. In 2790, design and development of the Blacktip began. It would be another thirty years before a working prototype left the GCN's hangars for flight testing, and another fifty years before it saw any action. This delay was largely due to the covert development of non-GCN fighters by various member states. In order to retain the upper hand, the GCN kept putting back the release of the Blacktip, constantly tweaking and improving it until they felt that they had a sufficient edge over potential rivals. Historical Battles of Note For the most part, the Blacktip has remained solely a patrol vehicle, but over its life time to date, it has been used in some rather significant battles. The Battle of Bridgetown In 2884, 14 years after the Blacktip was released to service, Pirates from the Kuiper Belt made a surpise attack on the city of Bridgetown Barbados. At the time, the Caribbean Armies had been busy restructuring, and could not mount a swift response against the enemy forces. The GCN was slow to respond at first, but when the enemy troops made a threat of invading the less well fortified Florida coast, the GCN descended in full exhibiton of strength. In the battle that followed for the next three months, the Blacktip fleets took down 325 enemy fighters, 120 enemy destroyers, 6 air-craft carriers and over 65 enemy camps. No GCN Blacktips were completely lost in this battle, but 23 of them were damaged and at least 18 of them were forced to leave battle. The Gobi War Though noted for its dominance as a maritime fighter, the Blacktip has seen its share of action in very different areas than where it is at home. In 2887, a small band of rebels hiding in the Gobi desert launched a raid on a GCN base. Knowing that the base was unguarded at the time, they quickly overwhelmed the defenceless workers, and seized control of a small fleet of fighter aircraft and a myriad of tanks and other ground units, including a pair of illegally operated Asiatic Black Falcons. With their new found fire power, they wasted no time in harassing nearby cities, demanding ransom and calling for the removal of GCN influence from Asia. Their efforts proved fruitless, and foolish, when they were swiftly met with a fleet of TigerSharks and Blacktips. The Blacktips made light work of the weaker vessels, taking them down in a blaze with their FireHaze Rockets. The battle dragged out longer than expected however, because the rebels were able to keep their BlackFalcons for a number of weeks after their other fighters had been destroyed. They managed to penetrate into China, where they were finally defeated by a pair of veteran TigerShark pilots. The RogueHawk Offensive In 2895, a number of undercover pirates stationed in the Alaskan badlands managed to steal a small number of Indo-Caribbean WarHawks, and proceeded to attack the North American Coastline. Using the fake credentials afforded them by their stolen indentities and fighters, they managed to escape detection for a few days, and travelled all the way to the indepentent state of California, leaving a rampage of destroyed homes and crops along the way. However, upon reaching California, they were met with a very angry mob of Blacktip pilots, who had gotten word of the nonsense and decided to put a stop to it. Despite not being cleared to fight the much more powerful WarHawks, the brave pilots lead a policing mission that saved California from the same mischief that had befallen the other states further North. Met with a blinding attack of hundreds of SkyTremor Rockets, the pirates quickly surrendered, rather than let themselves die at the hand of the more skilled Blacktip pilots. Category:Fighters